by Fr. Tommy Lane
During the days after Jesus’ Ascension before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles were gathered in prayer in Jerusalem. As we heard in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (1:4-5), Jesus asked the apostles not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father—the Holy Spirit. Later in that same chapter of Acts, Luke wrote: “When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:13-14) The brothers were Jesus’ cousins. At that time in that part of the world you referred to your cousins as your brothers and sisters (pdf) In the Confiteor we pray to “Mary ever-Virgin” and in the Eucharistic Prayer you hear the priest ask God that we may enter heaven with the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Between Ascension and Pentecost, Our Lady, the apostles, and others were gathered in prayer in the upper room where Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper. It was the very first novena, if you take it that the Ascension took place on Thursday. From the following day, Friday, until Saturday the following week, the day before Pentecost, Our Lady, the apostles, and others were gathered in prayer. It was a novena praying for the Holy Spirit and it was Jesus who asked for it as we heard (Acts 1:4-5). During this week before Pentecost, it would be good to pray each day for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on each of us individually and on the Church as a whole. Prayer is always answered, somehow in some way. Pray believing that your prayer for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life will be answered. The apostles were totally transformed when they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. When Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, they fled, but after they received the Holy Spirit, they preached no matter what persecution it brought them—even martyrdom. That is the difference the Holy Spirit makes. Everything is different and there is a completely different way of looking at life.
During the week ahead, can we pray for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that we can see with new spiritual eyes? We can be so caught up in the things of this life which are not always so important. Can we pray that we can in some way be transformed with more of the Holy Spirit in our lives to keep focused on what is important in life just as the apostles were transformed at Pentecost? The apostles and Our Lady spent nine days in prayer before receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Prayer, prayer, and more prayer is needed to ask God for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit comes after much prayer in preparation. Life is much better with the Holy Spirit. Look at how much better life was for the apostles after receiving the Holy Spirit. They were open about being disciples of Jesus. With the Holy Spirit, we have Jesus in our lives and a bit of heaven. Who would not want that? We can have something of heaven in this life. For that, we have to pray for the Holy Spirit. So, during the week ahead, can we pray, pray, pray for the Holy Spirit that life will be better? Pray to be a more loving husband and father. Pray to be a more loving wife and mother. Pray to be a more loving son and brother. Pray to be a more loving daughter and sister.
During the novena before Pentecost, the apostles were gathered in prayer with Our Lady. During these next days as we pray for the Holy Spirit and during this month of May dedicated to Our Lady, we can unite ourselves with Our Lady as we pray. She is our spiritual mother. When Jesus was dying on the cross, he gave his mother to us to be our spiritual mother and Mother of the Church as he said, “Woman, behold your son” and he said to the apostle John, representing all of us, “Behold your Mother.” (John 19:26-27) We can turn to Mary as our mother as we pray for the Holy Spirit. We can offer our lives to Mary as a gift to her. Allow her to lead us as she wants. Allow her to be the one in charge of our lives. We can dedicate our lives to Our Lady as an act of love for her. We can pray to her knowing that she loves us, and what is more, that we cannot even comprehend how much she loves us because it is more than we can imagine. During this month dedicated to Our Lady, we can show our love for her by praying the Rosary to her. Every Hail Mary is a gift of a rose to Our Lady.
The apostles and Our Lady spent nine days in prayer before receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit comes after much prayer in preparation. Life is much better with the Holy Spirit. Look at how much better life was for the apostles after receiving the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit, we have Jesus in our lives and a bit of heaven. Who would not want that? During the week ahead, we can unite ourselves with Our Lady giving ourselves to her as a gift, as we pray for the Holy Spirit.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2021
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Ascension of the Lord
Gathered around Our Lady after Jesus’ Ascension 2018
Enlightened to Our Calling and Destiny
Year A: Students in the school of Jesus 2023
Year B: Jesus is present
in his Church after his Ascension
2006
Year C: Jesus’ Ascension: Jesus with us in a new nearness 2022
Related Homilies: Waiting in Prayer for the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit